Hypnosis and Christianity?
I have been a Christian all my life, and for the last five years have been studying hypnosis as a hobby. All the while, I have had a nagging feeling that what I was doing was wrong. I will weigh in with what I have found and I hope that one of you can take what I have put in and explain or expound to come to a conclusion.
I have friends who have told me that they believe that hypnosis is simply demonic possession. I have a hard time believing that because in my study of hypnosis I learned about techniques like NLP which doesn’t require a person to go into trance, it is simply used conversationally to affect what the person is thinking.
The hardest question to answer is the heightened state of suggestibility, which is almost universally agreed upon by all hypnotists. Most hypnotists will say that you are always in control of yourself, however you are put into a state where you are more willing to accept suggestions. The scripture I would use to counter that would be Galatians 2:20 I’ve been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, he is living through me. With this in mind, opening our mind up to suggestion to anyone, including ourselves (in reference to self-hypnosis) is a bad idea. Christ should be the only one influencing us like that.
So it seems there is a fine line. Indeed I know how to influence people using hypnosis related techniques without putting them into a trance simply by using keywords, changing voice tone, body language, ect… but as a Christian is this wrong? Is all hypnosis wrong? Is there a fine line? Tell me what you think.
Good question and I don’t fault you for asking it, I was in a hurry when writing this. Being a Christian all my life means I was raised in Christian home and accepted Christ at a young age (about 5) and rededicated my life to him when I was about 16.
Tagged with: Christianity • hypnosis
Filed under: Hypnosis Techniques
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Real question would be, how are ‘you’ a ‘christian’ all your life for starters?? (When were ‘you’ Spiritually Born Again?) Stay away from ‘hypnosis’ in the first place!! Deuteronomy 18:9-12.
If we constantly focus only on the stones in our mortal path, we will
almost surely miss the beautiful flower or cool stream provided by the
loving Father who outlined our journey. Each day can bring more joy
than sorrow when our mortal and spiritual eyes are open to God’s
goodness. Joy in the gospel is not something that begins only in the
next life. It is our privilege now, this very day. We must never allow
our burdens to obscure our blessings. There will always be more
blessings than burdens–even if some days it doesn’t seem so. Jesus
said, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it
more abundantly.” Enjoy those blessings right now. They are yours and
always will be.
Hypnosis has nothing to do with anything supernatural or spiritual, its pure science, psychology that is.
There is no “fine line”. You have been “captured” by the feeling of having power over people. Look at the commandments. Lying for example.Thou shalt NOT lie. it doesn’t list exceptions.It doesn’t say “unless being truthful will hurt someones feelings”. No “fine line”. You are practicing a form of deception designed to suspend another person’s self-control. Even if you believe the lie that you are doing it to help them in some way, are you a PERFECT person yourself? Why doesn’t God use hypnosis to convert people? I am very knowledgeable of techniques of which you speak, and likely much older than you. Being that character development is of PRIMARY importance to God you should realize that none of us have what it takes to have His character at all times. Character development REQUIRES alert conscious awareness and the ability with that awareness to CHOOSE. What you are engaging in is diametrically OPPOSED to that awareness!
Pro 14:12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
Jer 10:23 O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.
Jer 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
Jer 17:10 I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.
It is God’s message to mankind that we have not been given minds capable of seeing all possible consequences of even a single act we perform! As intelligent as Satan was, “pride” still took him out of the kingdom. You are being pumped full of pride with your use of deceitfulness that you use to “BYPASS” a person’s awareness. Supposedly to “help” that person. Is your help greater than that which God gives? We are supposed be to working on OURSELVES, not someone else. I suggest you stop before EXPERIENCE teaches you the error of that way.
>but as a Christian is this wrong?
You’re overreaching here. As an analogy, do you think knives are wrong? After all, some people cut other people’s heads off with them. It’s not the knife/hypnosis that’s wrong, it’s what you do with it.
Bob
1. Prayer and the state of hypnosis are actually very similar. Your eyes are closed, your relaxed and can be verbalised internally or externally.
2. Was it not Jesus that said to the blind man, “If you believe I can heal your blindness then it is your faith on God that will heal you” before rubbing dirt into his eyes curing him.. Sounds very NLP / Hypnotic language pattern to me, isn’t it?
3. In true hypnosis (not stage hypnosis), the therapist simply allows the person to relax, gives them a post hypnotic suggestion (usually to be able to do things better, or easier) and then awakens them. I can’t see anything demonic about that, can you?